We have a new look for the Tennessee Smokies (Class AA: Southern League) that brings the team’s branding and colors closer to those of parent team Chicago Cubs. (more…)
Archive | Features
After offseason fire, Fifth Third Ballpark shines at Midwest League ASG
Tuesday night’s Midwest League All-Star Classic was more than a showcase of baseball talent. It was a celebration of a remarkable effort by the West Michigan Whitecaps to rebuild a ballpark heavily damaged by fire less than six months ago, reports Trey Wilson. As more than 7,000 fans filled the seats of Fifth Third Ballpark, […]
Fluor Field: The very model of a modern downtown ballpark
Last night saw a record crowd at Fluor Field for a Greenville Drive (Low Class A; Sally League) season opener, and with good reason: it’s a great implementation of a downtown MiLB park. The crowd of 6,402 was the largest ever for a Drive season opener at Fluor Field. The team is now firmly entrenched in […]
River Bandits expand scholarship program
It already was one of the most unique team initiatives in MiLB, and now the Quad Cities River Bandits (Low Class A; Midwest League) have brought in a new partner to expand the Bandit Scholars Program. The Quad Cities River Bandits and the Community Foundation of the Great River Bend are new partners in supporting […]
Fifth Third fire brings back memories of past ballpark blazes
Ballpark fires are extreme rare these days, but at one time were a major threat to baseball operations. Jesse Goldberg-Strassler looks at how ballpark design changed because of fire awareness. On January 3, a fire significantly damaged Fifth Third Ballpark, home of the Midwest League’s West Michigan Whitecaps. Thankfully, no one was injured. Photographs of […]
Touring Rickwood Field
Yeah, we know we’re a few weeks out of the Rickwood Classic, but you can still see what makes Birmingham’s Rickwood Field so awesome in videos from Tennessee Smokies (Class AA; Southern League) broadcaster Mick Gillispie. We’ve attended the Rickwood Classic in the past and had a ball, so we’d highly recommend the event for […]
Lake Monsters unveil 2013 Centennial Field renovations
The Vermont Lake Monsters (short season; NY-Penn League) unveiled upgrades to the University of Vermont’s historic Centennial Field that include permanent seating in the grandstand areas along with new field-level seating, dugouts and bullpens. Centennial Field is the oldest venue in affiliated baseball, a truly historic ballpark. The site has been home to baseball since […]
Cyclones clean up MCU Park after Superstorm Sandy damage
Six months after Superstorm Sandy trashed much of MCU Park, home of the Brooklyn Cyclones (short season A; NY-Penn League), the ballpark is ready for baseball well in advance of the scheduled June 18 Opening Day. As you’ll recall, Superstorm Sandy was the deadliest and most expensive hurricane last year, moving up the Atlantic Coast […]
Spikes to welcome millionth fan this season
The State College Spikes (short season A; NY-Penn League) will hit a big milestone this season, as the team prepares to reach the one million mark in all-time attendance during the June 17 home opener. The “Year of the Millionth Fan” celebration will kick off the team’s schedule of events and appearances for the 2013 […]
Bob Gibson statue unveiled at Werner Park
A statue of Hall of Famer Bob Gibson, the pride and joy of Omaha, was unveiled at Werner Park, home of the Omaha Storm Chasers (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League.) A passel of baseball luminaries was on hand to honor the former St. Louis Cardinals great, including MLB Commissioner Bud Selig, former teammates Joe Torre […]
RailRiders: We’ve already exceeded 2011 ticket sales
Nice milestone: the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (Class AAA; International League) have already exceeded 2011’s number of tickets sold, with over 300,000 ducats purchased for PNC Field’s inaugural season. “This is a solid first step for our team and demonstrates our community’s interest in restoring our baseball games to the top of the list for fun, affordable […]
Barons to open new ballpark tonight
It will be a new era of baseball tonight in Alabama, as the Birmingham Barons (Class AA; Southern League) will open up a new downtown ballpark after a 25-year stint in the suburbs. The new ballpark, Regions Field, is the merger of two visions: one, from city officials who wanted to see pro baseball return […]
Barons announce first Opening Day sellout in over 20 years
What can’t a new ballpark do? The Birmingham Barons (Class AA; Southern League) have sold out Opening Day for the first time in more than 20 years, as fans are flocking to Regions Field. The team previously played at Regions Park, a rather spacious (10,000+ capacity) venue that was always a challenge to fill. Not […]